Thanks yet again. Taking on board what you say about shaktipat and book-learning, which of Muktananda's books would you recommend if I just wanted to learn about the man and his trajectory? And, with apologies for lowering the tone of the conversation, what did you make of the accusations of sexual impropriety against "Mucky"? As he seems to be guilty as charged (no?) does that invalidate what he had to teach? Also, do you know of any shaktipat groups in the UK that could be worth investigating? Does your group have centres (centers) over here? As regards your personal history, did you ever try psychedelics back in the day; I'm wondering if they might have been a cause of some of your experiences. (If you don't want to answer this bit, that's fine too!)
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu wrote: > > On 07/16/2013 04:15 PM, Seraphita wrote: > > Thanks again. Re "Beej mantras are commonly used in astrology and > > ayurveda . . . tells the person to repeat the mantra either in a short > > meditation or sometimes throughout the day (like a walking mantra)." > > Repeating the mantra through the day (like the Hare Krishna crowd) is > > very different from effortless TM. The point is kinda to forget the > > mantra. > > There is the TM walking mantra for kids. And in TM the mantra "is just > a faint idea." FYI, I taught TM too. > > > Re: "When longer mantras are given as a public "first technique" then > > the teacher usually gives shaktipat to jump-start them. Muktananda's > > organization teaches this way. But the guru has to wait until his > > teachers have developed enough shakti to give shakipat to teach these. I > > was also taught by my tantra guru to teach meditation this way." You > > sound like the guy I need to meet! What I've read about Muktananda's > > shaktipat trickery has always intrigued me - he was able to produce > > serious shifts in his students awareness - shifts that are difficult to > > explain. Do you think it comes down to hypnotic suggestion? - which is > > what charismatic church leaders seem to practise (perhaps > > unconsciously). Or do you reckon there's something more going on here? > > It is the transference of energy or shakti. It isn't hypnosis. Tantrics > are supposed to get so powerful and good at it that they can temporarily > animate a dead corpse in a cremation ground. > > I > > was recently looking for a (basic, non-technical) book on shaktipat that > > might give me some insight: can you recommend any titles (maybe one of > > Muktananda's as I've not read any of his books)? > > It can't be learned from a book. It is really simple and there have > been others on FFL who have taken some of the shaktipat courses that > other Indian teachers have offered. My teacher limited me to giving it > only 7 times per day when starting out. But he also only allowed me to > do the technique after 5 years of instruction. > > Re " . . . With a little zip from performing a puja before each teaching > > session. But a lot of people might have just picked the beej mantra up > > out of book and it would have worked after a while." Yes, there are some > > on-line TM-type instructors that have appeared recently. I remember from > > my own TM initiation that I felt the dive within right from the get-go. > > In fact, it took me completely by surprise. Those who've tried learning > > from a book or on-line do report benefits so I hope they're getting the > > same experiences but I wonder if, by missing out on that face-to-face > > encounter, something gets lost by the mediation of text or technology. > > Three years prior to learning TM I tried a meditation out of a book. I > didn't expect anything but the kundalini rose to the crown chakra. It > was as if I went up into the sun and coming out I was disoriented. I > had been doing some yoga asanas that were taught to me by someone in the > house where I was staying. Those probably helped prime me but OTOH I > had spiritual experiences since childhood but nothing like the kundalini > rising. > > So it depends. I also had a friend who was raised by Rosicrucians and > was very spiritual. He got shaktipat and meditation instruction from > one of Muktananda's teachers and said he didn't experience anything. > > > Rather like Benson's Relaxation Response! > > One of the most striking things about Maharishi's decision to set-up his > > teacher-training assembly line was his confidence that they'd be able to > > transmit the TM technique and get guaranteed results. How could he be so > > confident when he was dealing with something so intangible? > > Because indeed it is "a very simple technique". And as I mentioned > something like astrologers or ayurvedic practitioners give in a less > structured way. I had a professor of astrology at a Hindu university > recommend the same mantra as the TM advanced technique after seeing my > chart. > > > By the way, when I refer to hypnosis above, that's not a put-down as > > hypnosis is clearly beneficial in certain situations. > > My tantric guru became a licensed hypno-therapist. > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Bhairitu wrote: > >> Beej mantras are commonly used in astrology and ayurveda. They don't > >> take much to work and the astrologer or ayurvedic practitioner just > >> tells the person to repeat the mantra either in a short meditation or > >> sometimes throughout the day (like a walking mantra).. > >> > >> Longer mantras like the "advanced technique" require more to work. > > When > >> longer mantras are given as a public "first technique" then the > > teacher > >> usually gives shaktipat to jumpstart them. Muktanda's organization > >> teaches this way. But the guru has to wait until his teachers have > >> developed enough shakti to give shakipat to teach these. I was also > >> taught by my tantra guru to teach meditation this way. > >> > >> Maharishi wanted to create a lot of teachers so in a way went with the > >> beej techniques ala astrology or ayurveda with a little zip from > >> performing a puja before each teaching session. But a lot of people > >> might have just picked the beej mantra up out of book and it would > > have > >> worked after a while. Not so much so by taking a longer mantra out of > > a > >> book. > >> > >> Certain beej mantras are considered useful for certain stages of life. > > > > >
